First Baptist Church of Glenarden on Thursday distributed thousands of bags of free groceries to federal employees and contractors in the D.C. region affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
More than 500 volunteers gathered at the church’s Family Life Center in Upper Marlboro early Thursday morning to prepare the bags, which contained bread and nonperishable items such as pasta, peanut butter, boxes of macaroni and cheese and canned goods.
The giveaway was part of the church’s recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. First Baptist also took purses filled with personal products to women in homeless shelters and held service projects at local schools as part of its community day of service.
“Our church is serving needs of our community who’ve been adversely affected by the inability of our political leaders to effectively govern,” said First Baptist Senior Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. “Therefore, we feel it is our obligation to support neighbors, members and others who are federal employees or contractors with resources that are available to us.”
The church is also producing a series of free seminars, titled “Staying Up While Shut Down: 8 Ways to be Spiritually and Emotionally Strong During the Government Furlough.”
For more information, go to FBCGlenarden.org.